In his book The Price of Admiralty, John Keegan digs deep into two key elements of naval warfare: New Technology and New Tactics that embraced the technology. What I found really interesting about each new element of technology was how each navy looked at the technologies tactically.

In the case of the naval battles at Trafalgar and Jutland particularly, one naval force saw new advances in naval technology and thought they could embrace traditional tactics in a better way, be it faster, stronger, or more nimbly. The other side looked at the new technologies and saw that new tactics were now possible.

The book is a good read and I don’t want to wade into the details of either the book or the battles. I do want to point over how this applies to business with how sales people embrace new technologies, in particular, new communication tools.

When a new method of communication comes out, there are those who embrace it as a faster, better, more nimble way to give the old message. Using cold calling as an example, the use of scripting for cold calls has an element of effectiveness but ultimately treated an interactive telephone call like a radio ad: this can only take you so far. Our young prospector has the person they want to get to know on the phone and are acting like a town crier. This is rarely effective – and when it is, one wonders why!

Instead they have created a moment for interactive communication and it must not be squandered. Following the communicative evolution through email into social media and beyond, newer forms of communication are growing more interactive, not less. This means the sales person no longer is the only one to initiate the conversation. If they are clever, they can find the conversations their prospects are already having and see the needs, hopes and goals that can be met.

The savvy sales manager reminds his sales team to use wisdom and listen before speaking, a very old tactic, yet ever new. Our young prospector can listen to an already existing stream of conversation instead of attempting to start one anew. And when he or she speaks, they bring the solutions the client needs, not just the wares the sales person has in their bag.